Broken Harbour

Dublin Murder Squad: 4. Winner of the LA Times Book Prize for Best Mystery/Thriller and the Irish Book Award for Crime Fiction Book of the Year

De: Tana French

Narrado por: Hugh Lee

In Broken Harbour, a ghost estate outside Dublin - half-built, half-inhabited, half-abandoned - two children and their father are dead. The mother is on her way to intensive care. Scorcher Kennedy is given the case because he is the Murder squad's star detective. At first he and his rookie partner, Richie, think this is a simple one: Pat Spain was a casualty of the recession, so he killed his children, tried to kill his wife Jenny, and finished off with himself. But there are too many inexplicable details and the evidence is pointing in two directions at once.

Scorcher's personal life is tugging for his attention. Seeing the case on the news has sent his sister Dina off the rails again, and she's resurrecting something that Scorcher thought he had tightly under control: what happened to their family, one summer at Broken Harbour, back when they were children. The neat compartments of his life are breaking down, and the sudden tangle of work and family is putting both at risk . . .


(P)2012 Hodder & Stoughton©2012 Tana French

Reseñas de la Crítica

I've been enthusiastically telling everyone who will listen to read Tana French. She is, without a doubt, my favorite new mystery writer. Her novels are poignant, compelling, beautifully written and wonderfully atmospheric. Just start reading the first page. You'll see what I mean.

The half finished housing estate with jerry-built boxes is eerily reminiscent of a J. G. Ballard dystopian setting - establishing atmosphere is one of French's many strengths. Gradually, an emotionally jolting story of love, obsession and madness is played out to incredible effect. Since her first novel, In the Woods, was larded with awards in 2007, French has garnered a huge legion of fans and they will be thrilled with this, her fourth and possibly best novel.

The most breathtakingly brilliant and close-to-perfect thriller I've read for a long time.

Tana French is one of those rare novelists who combine a gift for dialogue and characterisation, with suspense, intrigue and fabulous plotting. And she's a beautiful writer, to boot. A real treat.

Edgar-winner French's eloquently slow-burning fourth Dublin murder squad novel shows her at the top of her game . . . French excels at drawing out complex character dynamics

Not her best..

Overall this book could have been great. Except it’s at least 4 hours too long!
The self-pitying ramblings would have been fine but the same things are said/thought over and over and over till you almost know them by heart. And really, NOT putting your really sick sister in a hospital just because you feel bad is just cruel!

Deeply satisfying in every way

I can scarcely believe that I put this aside after a few minutes of the narrators voice. I went back and gave it a second try as I love Tana French, and as I became immersed in the story, I came to love the narrator and the story he told, right to the last minute.

Gripping story and amazing performance

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I already have! This series in general is notable for the amazing character studies, and Lee's reading truly makes it come to life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The narrator. Lee truly brought out all his humanity.

Have you listened to any of Hugh Lee’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't, but I have already started looking at other pieces he's done.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It terrified me, it captivated me, it saddened me deeply-- all in the best possible way.

Superb story, beautifully written, perfectly read

I love Tana French's Dublin Squad series. This story shows a different view of murder detective "Scorcher" Kennedy and delves into his past. I really appreciate the way French shows characters, like Kennedy, as bit players in other books -- Kennedy's generally shown to be a flashy jerk -- but fleshes them out in their own story elsewhere. This was an absolutely gripping read, and Hugh Lee was the ideal choice to portray male and female characters with all sorts of accents and backgrounds. Highly recommended.

I really liked this book!

What did you love best about Broken Harbour?

The story was most unusual and I could really picture the suburban environment and characters as the narrator was very consistent with his voices and characterisations.
I like all the loose ends to be tied up in a book, and in this case there were a few left 'hanging' however that has given me food for thought...so not such a bad thing.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Richie Curran - empathy empathy empathy...read it and find out why!

What does Hugh Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His Irish accents were really spot on...I particularly liked the voice of the nosey neighbour.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Really enjoyable all round.